Chair having movable leg-rest section



y 30, 1961 T. F. M CARTAN 2,986,201

CHAIR HAVING MOVABLE LEG-REST SECTION Filed Oct. 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 29 THOMAS E MCCARTAN M y 1961 T. F. M CARTAN CHAIR HAVING MOVABLE LEG-REST SECTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 2. 1958 lNvENToR THOMAS E MCCARTAN ATTY.

United States Patent CHAIR HAVING MOVABLE LEG-REST SECTION Thomas F. McCartan, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Bee and Gee Manufacturing Co., Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 764,961

Claims. (Cl. 155105) This invention relates to chairs of the type having a movable leg-rest section, and more particularly, to a novel mechanism for adjusting the position of the leg-rest section.

The leg-rest section is generally pivotally mounted to the forward edge of the seat section of the chair and the leg-rest section may be adjusted either to a downward retracted inoperative position or to an outward forwardly extending operative position.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a chair of the character described wherein the means for adjusting the leg-rest section comprises a novel mechanism which is durable, economical as well as simple to operate.

Another object is to provide a novel means for locking the leg-rest section in its outwardly extending operative position, which locking means may be quickly and easily unlocked when it is desired to return the leg-rest section to its retracted inoperative position.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be evident to those skilled in the art as the detailed description proceeds hereinbelow or are inherent in the structure disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a chair embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the seat portion partially broken away and in section, and showing the internal mechanism for actuating the leg-rest section;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 2 with the side wall of the seat section broken away to show the mechanism for actuating the leg-rest section, the latter being shown in its retracted inoperative position; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the leg-rest section in its outwardly extending operative position.

Referring first to Fig. l, the reference numeral 11 designates generally a chair embodying the present invention and comprising a back section 12, a pair of aim-rest sections 13, 14, a seat section 15 and a base section 16. A leg-rest section 17 is pi-votally connected along its upper rear edge 18 (Fig. 2) to the forward portion of seat section 15 by hinges 19. Leg-rest section 17 is thus mounted for swinging movement either to its retracted inoperative downwardly inclined position shown in Fig. 3 or to its outwardly extending operative position shown in Fig. 4. Movement of leg-rest section 17 to its alternate positions is eifected by manual manipulation of a hand lever 20 which is pivotally mounted for swinging movement in a forward or rearward direction.

As thus far described inthe preceding paragraph, the structure is conventional. The novel aspects of the pres ent invention reside in the mechanism for moving said leg-rest section 17 in response to actuation of hand lever 20. This mechanism will now be described. Referring to Fig. 2, seat section 15 comprises a pair of laterally horizontally extending frame members 21, 22. Extend- Patented May 30, 1961 bearing slide assembly comprising a stationary elongated channel or housing 26 and a movable slide element 27 which is longitudinally slideably supported in housing 26 by ball bearings (not shown) in the conventional wellknown manner. Housing 26 extends transversely of frame members 23, 24 and is secured adjacent its opposite ends to intermediate portions of the latter.

A pair of bearing plates 28, 29 are secured to frame members 21, 22 respectively by means of screws 30 and are provided with horizontally aligned bearing openings rotatably receiving a horizontally extending shaft 31' formed integral with hand lever 20 whereby the latter is mounted for swinging movement. An additional bearing plate 32 is secured at its upper end to slide assembly housing 26 and is provided with a bearing opening for receiving and supporting the intermediate portion of shaft 31. p I

Secured to shaft 31 are a pair of spaced upwardly extending arms 33, 34. A pin 35 extends horizontally between arms 33', 34 and is secured at its opposite ends to the respective upper ends of said arms. Secured to an intermediate portion of slide member 27 and extend'-- ing upwardly therefrom is a slotted element 36 having a vertically extending slot 37 through which pin 35 extends so as to be vertically slideably therein. The forward edge of slot 37 is provided adjacent its lower end with arecess or groove 38 adapted to lockingly engage pin 35 in a manner to be described below.

Secured to slide member 27 and projecting upwardly therefrom is a bifurcated pivot post 39 having a slot into which extends the rear end of a link 40 pivotally connected to pivot post 39 by a pivot pin 41. The forward end of link 40 is pivotally connected at 42 to a bracket 43 secured to an intermediate portion of leg-rest section 17.

The mode of operation of the device is as follows: Referring first to Fig. 3, when leg-rest section 17 is in its downwardly inclined retracted position, hand lever 20 is in a rearwardly inclined position, and slide member 27 together with slotted element 36 and pivot post 39 are in their extreme rearward positions (to the left as viewed in Fig. 3). Should one desire to move leg-rest section 17 to its outward operative position shown in Fig. 3, one grasps hand lever 20 and swings same forwardly toward the position shown in Fig. 4, thereby causing shaft element 31 to be rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4 and thereby causing arms 33, 34 to be pivoted in a clockwise direction urging pin 35 to bear against the forward edge of slot 37 and thereby moving slotted element 36 together with slide member 27 forwardly. This causes pivot post 39 to be moved forwardly along with slide member 27 and transmits a compressive thrust to link 40 which is transmitted to leg-rest section 17 to pivot the latter upwardly from its retracted position shown in Fig. 3 to its outward position shown in Fig. 4.

During the movements thus described, pin 35 slides downwardly within slot 37 until pin 35 falls into recess 38 so as to be engaged there-by and thus maintain the mechanism locked in the position shown in Fig. 4. This locking engagement of pin 35 within groove 38 is simply and easily broken by slight pressure on hand lever 20 tending to move it back toward its initial position shown in Fig. 3. Thereafter continued swinging movement of hand lever 20 in the rearward direction will cause pin 35 to bear against the rear surface of slot 37 so as to move the elements 36, 27, 39, 40 and 17 back to their positions shown in Fig. 3.

It is to be understood that the specific embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings and described in detail above is merely illustrative of one of the many forms which the invention may take in practice and that numerous variations and modifications thereof may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as delineated in the appended claims which are to be construed as broadly as permitted by the prior art.

I claim:

1. A chair comprising a seat section, a leg-rest section, means pivotally connecting said sections for swinging movementof said leg-rest section alternatively to a downward retracted position or to an outward operative position, a shaft, means rotatably mounting said shaft, a hand lever secured to said shaft for rotating the latter, an arm secured to said shaft and extending radially therefrom, a pin secured to said am, a slide member, means mounting said slide member for reciprocal sliding movement, an element fixedly secured to said slide member and having an elongated slot, said pin slidably engaging said slot, and a link member having one end pivotally connected to said slide member and its other end pivotally connected to said leg-rest section.

2. A chair as recited in claim 1 wherein said slot is provided adjacent one end thereof with recess means for lockingly engaging said pin.

3. A chair comprising a seat section, a leg-rest section, means pivotally connecting said sections for swinging movement of said leg-rest section alternatively to a downward retracted position or to an outward operative position, a pivotally mounted arm, a pin secured to said arm, a slide member, means mounting said slide member for reciprocal sliding movement, an element fixedly secured to said slide member and having an elongated slot, said pin slidably engaging said slot, means connecting said slide member to said leg-rest section for pivotally moving the latter in response to movement of said slide member, and means for moving said arm.

4. A chair as recited in claim 3 wherein said slot is provided in one edge thereof adjacent one end thereof with a recess for receiving said pin and lockingly engaging the latter.

5. A chair comprising a seat section, a leg-rest section, means pivotally connecting said sections for swinging movement of said leg-rest section alternatively to a downward retracted position or to an outward operative position, a slide member, means mounting said slide member for reciprocal sliding movement, an element fixedly secured to said slide member and having an elongated slot, a drive pin slidably engaging said slot, means for moving said drive pin to cause movement of said slide member, and means connecting said slide member to said leg-rest section for pivotally moving the latter in response to movement of said slide member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,626,069 Beech Apr. 26, 1927 2,326,910 Young Aug. 17, 1943 2,638,970 Harber May 19, 1953 2,696,868 Miller Dec. 14, 1954 2,708,756 Tucker May 24, 1955 2,833,338 Fidel May 6, 1958 

